Online Sources of Information

Wearable technologies are continuing to grow rapidly in today's society especially in the field of healthcare and fitness. Influencers and blogs proceed to shape much of the public’s understanding of these tools. As I review the Forbes Technology Council blog titled “Wearable Tech in Healthcare: Bridging the Gap Between Patients & Providers”(Forbes Technology Council, 2025), it provides a captivating overview of what to expect with wearable technologies in the healthcare field. As I apply Marsha Tate evaluation criteria to this blog and many others, I noticed that not all blogs deliver informative and professional content.  

Although Forbes is an established platform, their site is opinion based as they provide insight into the latest trends and why they are relevant today. While its optimistic portrayal about how smartwatches can revolutionize the healthcare field, the absence of proper citations from a health care professional and relevant peer review studies are lacking from this article. The tone of this article neglects to discuss the importance of safety risks and financial accessibility. As a result of these challenges Forbes blog should not be solely relied upon as more credible sources are needed to verify the evidence presented. As communicators it's important for us to ask questions like “How can journalists verify whether the audience is being informed or being misinformed?  or Is the purpose of this blog to inform, entertain, persuade or sell?”

I examined two scholarly resources, Challenges and recommendations for wearable devices in digital health  (Canali et al., 2022) and Wearable Devices in Cardiovascular Medicine (Hughes et al., 2023). Their research shows that there is a need for  increased scientific study and stricter compliance for wearable technologies. As there is a known concern for the importance of ethical practice and inclusive medical settings, both articles highlight a pressing issue relating to the integrity of data, algorithmic fairness and unequal health benefits. These studies challenge the narrative that Forbes blogs tend to overlook.

In the end Forbes blog about new technology is exciting and interesting but lacks everyday obstacles. As experts in the communication field, we must learn to always apply professional ethical practices and verify all claims whether it be social media, confirming healthcare related approvals or web contents.

References

• Canali, S., Schiaffonati, V., Aliverti, A., & Biasin, M. (2022). Challenges and recommendations for wearable devices in digital health: Data quality, interoperability, health equity, fairness. PLOS Digital Health, 1(11), e0000138. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000138

  
  

• Forbes Technology Council. (2025, January 23). Wearable tech in healthcare: Bridging the gap between patients & providers. Forbes. https://councils.forbes.com/blog/wearable-tech-in-healthcare

  
  

• Hughes, A. I., Olgin, J. E., Løgstrup, B. B., Aalami, O. R., Bairey Merz, C. N., Jensen, S. E., Jensen, H. K., Narayan, S. M., & Kumar, U. N. (2023). Wearable devices in cardiovascular medicine. Circulation Research, 132(4), 517–534. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.122.321699

  
  

• Tate, M. A. (2018). Web wisdom: How to evaluate and create information quality on the web (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis Group.